LOS ANGELES – More restrictions, no fans inside the arena and a quirky schedule.
But what's at stake hasn't changed, one of the few familiar aspects of the unique season that'll kick off for the Wild tonight at Staples Center against the Kings – the first of two in a row in Los Angeles.
"Doesn't really seem like a game day sometimes when you're walking into the rink and you go out there for warmups and there's no crowd noise or anything like that," goalie Cam Talbot said during a virtual interview. "But luckily, most of the guys in the room, myself included, were able to play in the bubble and get a little bit of that experience. So hopefully that works well in our favor to start the season here and there's no letdown right off the bat."
The Wild's opening-night opponent wasn't in the bubble and hasn't played a game since March 11, the day before the NHL was shut down by the coronavirus pandemic. But coach Dean Evason isn't expecting that to change what the Kings bring to the ice.
"They got a few more days of training camp, but I think we'll all be on the same page," he said.
Kaprizov will become the first Russian-born player to skate for the Wild and the 87th player to make his NHL debut with the Wild.
